Attack On Titan creator Hajime Isayama has discussed the reasoning behind the anime’s bleak conclusion.
The show’s final episode aired on Saturday (November 4), which saw the Rumbling end following Eren Yeager’s death. In an epilogue, however, a band of far-right Jaegerists are shown to have formed a militia to protect Eldia – suggesting the same cycle of conflict was about to repeat itself.
In the closing credits, the story flashes across hundreds of years as society and technology develops – culminating in a nuclear blast that seemingly wipes out civilisation.
Speaking to The New York Times about the ending, Isayama said it would have been “hokey” to culminate with a happy resolution.
“I guess there could have been an ending where it was a happy ending and the war ended and everything was fine and dandy,” Isayama said. “I guess that could have been possible. At the same time, the end of fighting and the end of contention itself kind of seems hokey.
“It kind of seems like it’s not even believable. It’s just not plausible in the world we’re living in right now. And so, sadly, I had to give up on that kind of happy ending.”
Attack On Titan is based on Isayama’s original manga, which came to an end in 2021. A bonus volume was recently announced as part of an art book, which will be released in April 2024.
In a four-star review, NME described the final episode as an “epic conclusion”, writing: “In the end, Attack On Titan remains a cynical, unsparing and gruesome cautionary tale about humanity’s worst impulses. But as long as there are Armins out there, we can always hope to do better.”
Attack On Titan is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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